Dispensing carton



Jan. 18,1944. B. J. DAVIDSON DISPENSING CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 26, 1941 Z 4 u m 5 M: n W W/ 2 W Z 6 |I iilsili a WA F 7 T u 6 MA il il] l I .L W Q D Z 7 .l m Tl .m fi w I. 4|| .|.li|.|.l. 5 A u 7 5 MR |il.P|.Il ll.

- INVENTOR BRUCE J DA V/DSON Jan. 18, 1944. DAVIDSQN 2,339,383

DISPENS ING CARTON Filed June 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 BY I ATTOR Patented Jan. 18, 1944 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING CARTON Bruce J. Davidson, Manhasset, N. Y., assignor to National Biscuit Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 26, 1941, Serial No. 399,801

14 Claims.

My invention relates to dispensing cartons and has for its principal object to provide a carton that will serve as a shipping container for pastry cups, ice cream cones, paper cups; and other articles, and may then be hung by the merchant or distributor in a convenient place to serve as a dispenser for the articles.

Another object is to provide a dispenser or dispensing carton for pastry and other cups, wherein the articles to be dispensed are completely housed within the dispenser and only the lower end of the article that is being dispensed is touched.

Anotherobject is to provide a dispensing carton that is cheap and easy to make, can be easily and cheaply filled with merchandise at the bakery or factory, affords full protection to the ,inz

Fig. 1 is a plan viewof a blank from which the carton is formed.

Fig. 2 shows a filled carton ready up for dispensing its contents.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a single piece blank from which a dispensing unit for four stacks of cones may be formed.

Fig. 4 shows the dispensing unit partly formed.

Fig. 5 shows the dispensing unit ready for insertion in the carton.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through the filled carton of Fig. 2, taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of one of the corners of the carton of Fig. 2, showing how the tucking fiap interlocks with the inner closing flaps.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the removable filler-and bottom support.

Fig. 9 is a section through a filled carton, taken substantially on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

My dispensing carton is best formed from a single piece blank as shown in Fig. 1. This blank is divided by cut and score lines to form a rear panel It, a side panel II, a front panel l2, a second side panel l3 and a glue flap I4, these panels to be hung L2? being separated by vertical score lines I5 along which the materialis folded so/as to form a rectangular carton, the glue strip l4 being glued to the free edge of the rear panel l0. At the bottom edges of the two side panels are bottom closing fiaps l6, II which are joined to their respective sides by score lines l8, l9 and at the upper ends of these panels are top closing flaps 20. 2| which are joined to the respective panels along score lines 22, 23.

The rear panel III has a cover 24 hinged to its upper edge along a score line 25 and it is separated from the closing flap 2| by a cut or slit 26. At its free edge the cover has a tuck 21 which is connected to the cover along the score line 28 and at the ends of the score line the material is cut through by short slits 29, 39. A potential hanger 3| is formed in the cover by slits 32, 32 the ends of which are joined by a weakened or perforated line 33. A score line 34 extends across the hanger which is provided with a pair of openings 35 which will register when the hanger is broken free from the cover along its three edges and folded along the score line 34 as shown in Fig. 2.

' A bottom cover 36 is connected to the lower edge of the rear panel [0 preferably by a perforated or weakened line 31 so that it may be torn readily. The free edge of the bottom has a tuck 38 which is connected along a score line 39, the ends of which terminate in short cuts 40, 4|.

The front panel I2 may have a potential dispensing opening 42 formed on it near its lower edge by a perforated or weakened line 43 which may be broken and the part 42 removedso as to provide an opening in the front face of the carton through which access may be had to the lower ends of the ice cream cones.

Spaced a short distance from the lower edges of the side panels H, [3 are horizontal slits 44, 45, 46, 41. Preferably these slits are curved upwardly midway of their length so as to facilitate their being opened for insertion of the locking tongues of the dispenser unit.

The dispenser unit may be made from a single piece blank as shown in Fig. 3. This blank is marked by cuts and score lines so that it may be folded to form the rectangular dispensing unit shown in Fig. 5 for use in a carton having four stacks of cones.

Starting at the left of Fig. 3 two sides 48, 49 are separated by a score line 50 and their other sides are defined by score lines 5|, 52. Beyond the core line 5| are portions having a plurality of dispensing fingers 53, 54 formed thereon by slits II, 88. These two sets of fingers are separated by a slit '1 and the outermost fingers of each set are undercut to form retaining lips 88,

88, 88, 8|. Similarly the side 48 beyond the score line 82 is provided with like fingers 82, 83.

The right hand edges of the sides 48,- 49 are defined by a score line 84 and adjacent this score line are two ends 88, 88 each of which is provided with a supporting tongue 81, 88. The two ends 88, 88 are separated by a cut or slit 88 which extends the rest of the distance across the blank up to the glue fiap 18,

The right hand edges of the ends 88, 88 are formed by ascore line II which separates these ends from the two sides 12, 13 which are like the sides 48, 48 except that they are separated by the cut 88 whereas. the sides 48, 48 are joined along the score line 58. The opposite edges of the sides 12', 18 are bounded by score lines 14, 15

and beyond these are-sets of dispensing fingers 18, 11, and 18, 18 similar to the fingers 53, 84. The right hand edges of the sides 12, 13 are limited by score lines 88, 8| and are connected to ends 82, 83 having supporting tongues 84, 85 similar to'the supporting tongues 81, 68. The glue fiap 18 is connected to the ends 82, 83 along a score line 88'.

To. form the dispensing unit from the blank of Fig. 3, it is folded along the score lines 84, ll, 88 and 88' into rectangular form and the flap is glued to the inside of the sides 48, 48 so that the .the dispensing fingers.

In order to take the strain or load oil? of the dispensing unit and fingers during shipment, I fill-in the bottom of the carton with a removable bottom support or filler as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. This filler preferably is made from cardboard and is of the, butterfly or egg-crate type, consisting of two pieces each of which has slits extending halfway across so that they interfit to form which is commonly known as an ,egg-crate partition. Thi filler differs, however, from the ordinary partition in that it has cut out portions or notches which fit over the dispensing fingers and prevent them unit takes the form shown in Fig. 4. The unit is then folded along the score line 58 so that it takes the form shown in Fig. 5. Rubber bands 86 or other suitable resilient retainers are placed about the sets of fingers so as to draw the fingers in toward the center and hold them resiliently as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The supporting tongues 61, 88 and 84, 85 are adapted to be in-. serted through the slits 44, 45, 46, 41 as best shown in Fig. 2 so as to support the dispensing unit within the carton but spaced above its lower end. The dimensions of the rectangular top of the unit as shown in Fig. 5 are such as to provide a close, yet sliding fit within the carton, and may he made for use in cartons having 1, 2, or more stacks of cones.

The dispensing unit, when assembled as shown in Fig. 5, form a rectangular frame, the four walls of which are formed by the sides 82, 83;

13; 68, 85; and 12, respectively, of the blank of Fig. 3. These four walls are vertical and fit within the four walls of the carton. the tongues 81, 88, 84, 85, engaging within the slits 44, 45, 41 and 48,*respectively, to support the unit. The unit also has two inner walls formed by the sides 48, 48 (Figs. 8 and 4) which are parallel to the outer walls formed by the sides 12, 13. The two inner walls are close together, but spaced apart from the outer wallsso as to permit the ice cream cones to pass between their upper edges. as shown in Fig. 6. The lower edges of each pair of parallel walls, an inner and an outer wall, provide the converging dispensing fingers 53, 54, 62, 63, 18, 11, 18, 18, which hold the lowermost cones until they are pulled through.

When the carton is assembled and filled, with the dispensing unit in place as shown in Fig. 6, the carton will be upside down, that is, 'it will be reversed from the position shown in Fig. 6. It will be seen from this figure that the fingers on the dispenser unit are some distance from the bottom of the carton and when the carton is turned to the position shown in Fig. 6, the weight of the stacks of cones will be sustained solely by from spreading during the shipment or handling of the filled cartons.

Referring now to Fig. 8, this support is made from two pieces of cardboard 81, 88 which fit together in the usual egg-crate partition style but the pieces or strips are provided with cut-out 88 and 88 in their upper edges and 8|, 92 in their lower edges which receive and support the dispensing fingers as shown in Fig. 6. The two pieces or strips 81, 88 are cut out on both sides so that the two pieces are identical in size and form. This reduce the cost of manufacture, simplifies the assembly of the support and its insertion in the carton, since it may be inserted with either set of notches 88, 88 or 8|, 82 up, so as to receive the dispensing fingers.

' These dispenser cartons may be of any dimensions desired but usually they are made of such 'size as to take four stacks of ice cream cones 83,

each stack containing twenty-five cones so that each carbon holds a total of one hundred cones. These stack are separated by loose partitions 84, 85 which extend from the top of the carton down to the top of the dispensing unit. These two partition members are slotted for half their length so that they fit together in the usual egg-crate separator style.

In order to prevent the cover 24 from being easily opened, I provide the two short slits 28, 38 which when the tuck 21 is tucked within the front of the carton will engage under the two shoulders 86, 81 of the closing flaps 20, 2| as best shown in Fig. 'I. The bottom 36 is held closed similarly by cooperation of the slits 40, 4| with the shoulders 88, 88 on the flaps I6, I1.

When the carton of ice cream cones is received by the dealer it will be completely closed and the first operation is 'to break loose the hanger 3| along the perforated lines 32 and 33 and fold itinto vertical position as shown in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the upper portion of the hanger (Fig. 1) i longer than the lower or back portion, so that when it is folded as shown in Fig. 2, the lower end of the inner portion will be tucked down inside and be held by the rear edges of the closing fiaps 20, 2|. These closing flaps overlap so that no opening is formed in the top of the carton when thehanger is raised to operative position. When it is thus raised the two holes 38 coincide and form a strong support for the carton which may be hung on a nail, hook or other suitable device.

The dealer next opens the bottom of the carton which he may do either by turning the bottom down along the weakened line 3'1 or the bottom may be torn oil along this weakened line as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 and thrown away. The bottom support or filler 81, 88 is now loose and 'may be pulled out of the carton by turning down the short fiaps I 6, l1 and thrown away because it is no longer of any use. When the bottom is thus opened and the support removed, the ice cream cones will hang in the dispenser unit as shown in Fig. 6 with their bottom points slightly above the bottom of the carton. The dealer can reach through the bottom of the carton and pull out the ice cream cones one ata time, the rubber bands 86 and the fingers yielding sufllciently to let the ice cream cone be pulled through. If the dealer wants to 'make the cones more readily available, the piece 42 in the lower end of the front panel is broken loose along the perforated line 43 and thrown away. This leaves a large opening in the front panel of the carton at its lower end through which the dealer may insert his hand to remove the ice cream cones one at a time without having to reach up in the carton,

When all of the ice cream cone have been removed and the carton is empty, it is taken down and thrown away and another filled carton containing the dispenser unit hung in its place. The dispensing unit consists only of a piece of light cardboard and a light rubber band for each column of cones packed in the carton and its total cost is very slight. The durability and resilience of the rubber bands and dispensing fingers are sufiicient to endure until the carton is empty. It will be thus seen that I have invented an efilcient and inexpensive dispensing carton which can be furnished to dealers without extra cost and which will save them the work and annoy ance that has been experienced heretofore in transferring ice cream cones from ordinary cartons to dispensing machines.

In Fig. 5, I show in dotted lines approximately the positions that the bottom cones occupy with reference to the dispensing unit.

My invention may be embodied in forms other than that which I have selected for illustration and it is to be understood that the terms which I have used in describing the invention are only relative and for purposes of identification, and are not to be taken as limitations.

What I claim is:

l. A dispensing carton adapted to hold agwertical stack of articles to be dispensed comprising a blank folded to form a rectangular carton, there being a horizontal slit in each of two opposite sides adjacent the bottom of the carton, a dispensing unit of rectangular cross section fitting within the lower end of the carton, said unit having' four vertical sides, one pair of opposite sides having downwardly and inwardly extending dispensing fingersdepending from their lower edges, the other pair of opposite sides having tongues depending from their lower edges and engaging in said slits whereby the unit is supported in the carton.

2. A dispensing carton adapted to hold a vertical stack of articles to be dispensed comprising a blank folded to form a rectangular carton, there being a horizontal slit in each of two opposite sides adjacent the bottom of the carton, a dispensing unit of rectangular cross section fitting within the lower end of the carton, said unit having four vertical sides, one pair of opposite sides having tongues depending from their lower edges and engaging in said slits whereby the unit is supported in the carton, the other two opposite sides of the unit having a number of downwardly and inwardly converging fingers extending from theirlower edges and through which article are dispensed, and resilient means urging the fingers inwardly.

3. A dispensing unit formed from a single piece blank comprising a rectangular frame having vertical side walls, supporting tongues extending downward from the lower edges of two opposite sides and in the same plane, and sets of dispensing fingers extendingdownwardly and inwardly from u the lower edges of the other two sides.

4. A dispensing unit formed from a single piece blank comprising two adjoining rectangular frames hinged together at the top of their adjacent sides, supporting tongues extending downward from two opposite sides of each of said frames, and dispensing fingers extending downwardlyand inwardly from the lower edgesof the other two opposite sides of each of said frames.

5. A dispensing unit formed from a single piece blank comprising two adjoining rectangular frames hinged together at the top of their adjacent sides, supporting tongues extending downward from two opposite sides of each of said frames, and dispensing fingers extending downwardly and inwardly from the lower edges of the other two opposite sides of each of said frames, and resilient means urging the fingers inward.

6. A dispensing unit formed from a single piece blank comprising a rectangular frame, supporting tongues extending downward from two opposite sides, dispensing fingers extending downwardly and inwardly from the other two sides, the outer edges of the fingers on each side having retaining lips, and resilient means engaging over the fingers on both sides and bearing on said retaining lips.

7. A dispensing unit for ice cream cones and the like comprising a rectangular frame, adapted to be secured within a rectangular carton, said 35 frame having four outer vertical walls, two inner walls parallel to two of the outer walls and spaced therefrom to provide passages for ice cream cones therebetween, the lower edges of each pair of inner and outer walls converging to restrain the passage of cones therebetween, the other two outer'walls having depending tongues adapted to secure the unit within the carton.

8. A blank for a dispensing carton having formed thereon front, rear and two side panels, the front panel having a potential dispensing opening formed therein by a weakened line adjacent its lower edge, each of the side panels having a supporting slit cut therein near its lower edge. the upper and lower edges of the side panels having closing fiaps secured thereto, the rear panel having a bottom panel secured thereto along its lower edge and a top panel secured thereto along its top edge, said top and bottom panels being adapted to close the bottom and top of a carton when formed from the blank, the top panel having a potential hanger formed therein by weakened lines, the potential hanger having a score line extending thereacross.

9. A dispensing carton adapted to hold a plurality of vertical stacks of ice cream cones comprising a rectangular carton, means at the bottom of the carton for dispensing the ice cream cones, a cover hinged to the top edge of the rear wall and closing the top of the carton, a hanger formed in the cover by weakened lines, one edge of the hanger coinciding with the hinged connection of the cover to the rear wall, a score line on which the hanger is foldable when said weakened line is broken, said score line extending across the hanger parallel to said hinged connection, there being a perforation in the hanger spaced equi-distant on each side of the score line and adapted to come into registry when the hanger is folded on the score line, top closing flap attached to the sides of the carton and lying under said hanger, said n s being larger than. said hanger whereby the top oi-the carton remains closed when the hanger is broken loose along the full width of the panels, the rear panel hav-L ing a bottom panel secured thereto along its lower edge and a top panel secured thereto along its top edge. said top and bottom panels being adapted to close the bottom and top of a carton when formed from the blank, the top panel having a potential hanger formed therein by weakened lines. the potential hanger having a score line extendingthereacross, the top and bottom panels having tucks adapted to be inserted inside the front panel, the tucks being in part severed from,

the panels by shortcuts at their outer edges.

11. A dispensing carton adapted to hold a vertical stack of articles to be dispensed comprising a blank folded to form a rectangular carton, there being a horizontal slit in each of two opposite sides adjacent the bottom 01 the carton, a dispensing unit of rectangular cross section fitting within thelower end of the carton and having opposite tongues engaging in said slits whereby the unit is supported in the carton, the unit having a number of downwardly and inwardly converging fingers through which articles are dispensed, and resilient means urging the fingers inwardly,'the unit being spaced from the bottom of the carton, and a removable filler having cut-out portions fitting over and preventing spreading of-saidfingers .and fllling the space between the unit and bottom of the carton.

12. A combined shipping and dispensing carton comprising an elongated container adapted to house a stack of nested ice cream cones, a cone supp rting and d p nsing unit fixed in said container adjacent to and spaced inwardly from its lower end, said unit having downwardly and inwardly converging members permitting the lowermost cone to extend partly therethrough and supporting the, stack of cones but permitting the lowermost cone to be forcibly withdrawn therethrough, a illler removably positioned in the container below said unit 'and filling the-space between the unit and bottom of the container, the filler having cut-outportions in" its upper edge engaging over and preventing spreading of said converging members. 7

13. A combined shipping and dispensing carton comprising an elongated container adapted to house a stack of nested ice cream cones, a cone upporting and dispensing unit fixed in said container adjacent to and spaced inwardly from its lower end, said unit having downwardly and in-.

wardly converging members permitting the lowermost cone to extend partly therethrough and supporting the stack of cones but permitting the lowermostcone to be forcibly withdrawn therethrough, a filler including. a vertical sheet of cardboard filling the space between the unit and bottom of the carton, said vertical'sheet being shaped in its upper edge to engage a side of said converging members and prevent spreading thereof.

14. A combined shipping and dispensing carton comprising a rectangular container adapted to house a stack of nested ice cream cones, each of two opposite sides of the container having a slit adjacent the bottom thereof; a rectangular 

